It All Started With A Red Wine Stain
by FangirlSupreme
Summary: "To think it all started with a red wine stain," Aaron thinks over the years. Modern AU. Theodosia Bartow Prevost/Aaron Burr, and eventual Theodosia Burr Alston/Phillip Hamilton


Aaron Burr frowned at the dark stain on the front of his shirt and his sleeve, now dyed a deep crimson. Alexander Hamilton could be so worthlessly clumsy at times.

Of course the man had to dump an entire full wineglass, plus a glass of gin on Aaron right as he was talking to the one girl he'd finally gotten up the courage to speak to (not to mention the porcelain vase he'd decimated on the way down).

Theodosia Bartow, a friend of Alex's sister-in-law, Angelica. Dark hair in curls of midnight, dark eyes, skin the color of coffee...the woman was like a goddess of night: beautiful, ethereal, and intimidating.

He'd known Theodosia for a while now, she was a part of the same group he was, a series of Venn diagrams connecting all sorts of different circles. He'd just never tried to hold a conversation with her consisting of anything other than small talk, until now, of course, and look where that had gotten him.

Standing in Eliza Schuyler Hamilton's pristine pastel blue and white kitchen, smelling like gin and cheap wine.

He sighed, dabbing at the dark red on his torso with a damp napkin. Much to his irritation, his efforts didn't seem to do anything, save rubbing a pink stain onto the white napkin while the crimson stubbornly remained on cream-colored fabric.

He knew he shouldn't have worn such a light shirt to a cocktail party. With his luck, something was bound to happen. The universe seemed to be punishing him for thinking that anything remotely lucky could happen to him.

"Everything okay in here?" Aaron looked up from the wine stain, and immediately found himself speechless as he could only stare at Theodosia, leaning against the doorframe.

"Uh...yeah, it's fine." _Nice, Aaron. Way to be smooth_ , his own mind snickered at him.

Theodosia's lips quirked into a smile, revealing even white teeth as she glanced at the stain. "You sure? Do you need help?"

At a loss for words, Aaron could only shrug noncommittally, feeling his face grow hot as he remembered standing in front of her, dripping in wine after Alexander had taken the fall.

He heard her boot heels clicking on the tile of the kitchen as she walked towards him."I read this thing in a magazine once where you put salt on a wine stain," she said thoughtfully, holding up his wine covered sleeve, her fingers centimeters away from making contact with Aaron's arm.

"Salt?" he echoed.

"Yeah, and have you tried dabbing it from the inside?"

"Ah-no?"

"Hm." She dropped his arm and rifled through the cupboards until she came upon more napkins, then moved to the sink, wetting them and moving back in front of him, her long skirt swishing. "Try it." She held out the damp mass to him, and he took a wad of napkins. "I can try and do your sleeve," she offered.

"Thanks," Aaron replied, and her fingers curled inside his sleeve, pressing the napkin to the fabric. Her knuckles ghosted across his arm and Aaron was sure he could hear his brain shorting out, but tried to focus on getting the stain out of the front of his shirt.

"What made you come in here?" he asked.

"We never really finished our conversation, at least not before Alex dive-bombed you with a pint of alcohol," she answered.

"Would you believe it if I told you that wasn't the first time?" Aaron asked, only joking at first before he realized that it really wasn't the first time Alex had done something like this. A certain bachelor party came to mind….

"I would, actually," Theodosia replied, grinning again. "Alex is kind of a klutz."

"I won't deny that," he said, smiling back.

"So, before the flood of wine, I think we were talking about…?" she trailed off. "Actually, I think you were about to say something…"

Aaron's mouth felt dry. He knew exactly what he had been about to say.

"Well...I...was about to ask you if you wanted to go out for a drink sometime," he ground out.

She stopped rubbing at the stain on his sleeve, blinking, trying to process what he'd said.

Then burst out laughing, leaning against the counter for support..

Aaron's heart sank. "I mean, obviously-you don't- I just thought-I should go." He started for the door, but she caught his arm. Her expression had sobered from one of amusement.

"I'm sorry, Aaron, I didn't mean to laugh, it's just- well, the context seemed a little ironic, you know?"

That was true, and Aaron couldn't help but grin sheepishly, before Theodosia started laughing again, and with a snort, he dissolved into similar mirth.

Then the kitchen door swung open with a bang, and Alexander stumbled in, followed by Eliza.

"Burr, sir!" Alexander shouted. "'Liza ssshaid I should aplogishe for drinking a drop on you-" He swayed for a moment before collapsing on the kitchen floor in a drunken heap.

"Alexander. Alexander!" Eliza tried to rouse him, but ultimately gave up, and exited the room.

Aaron and Theodosia both stared at Alexander lying on the floor before they began snickering and ended in another fit of laughter.

When their laughter had abated they were both on their knees on the kitchen floor, holding their sides, wine stains forgotten.

"Now, what was that you said earlier?" Theodosia asked, wiping a tear from her eye.

"I was wondering if I could buy you a drink sometime soon," Aaron answered, still smiling.

"I think I'd like that," she said. "How does next Saturday sound?"

"Perfect."

"You might not want to wear that shirt, though."

"I'll find something else," Aaron promised.

* * *

True to his word, Aaron wore a different shirt, one with no red wine stains.

He wasn't really sure what to wear, but eventually settled on a turquoise shirt his mother had gotten for him a Christmas or two ago.

Theodosia somehow managed to look utterly breathtaking in a simple sapphire dress, complete with knee-high boots. Not that she wasn't already gorgeous, of course.

They'd ditched the bar awhile ago after a fight broke out, a development neither of them really minded.

Instead, the two walked along the path in the city park, street lights illuminating their way.

"I wish it was easier to see the stars," Theodosia mused aloud at one point."All this light pollution; you can hardly see nature's lights anymore."

Aaron smiled to himself, knowing exactly where to take her next time.

* * *

Theodosia stared up at the sky in pure, unadulterated wonder.

Aaron leaned against his car, and found himself grinning. He'd taken her to the same place his grandfather used to take him to, an outcropping of rocks far away from the city, with, in his opinion, the best view of the night sky, short of Alaska.

Theodosia shifted her gaze from the stars to Aaron. "This is gorgeous, Aaron," she said. "How…?"

"You said you wanted to see nature's lights," Aaron replied. "This is the best place I knew for you to do that. Personally, I find it hard to find anything more beautiful than you-"

He was cut off as Theodosia strode forwards and pressed her lips to his. Had they not already been under a blanket of the galaxy, Aaron would've sworn he saw stars.

Theodosia pulled away. "Aaron Burr,' she whispered, "are you aware that you are the most inimitable person I have ever had the good fortune to know?"

"...I am now."

She laughed, tilting her sight back up to the sky. Aaron could only smile and gaze at the delight on her face.

 _To think this all started with a red wine stain_ , he thought.

* * *

 **I know, it sucks. Review, please?**


End file.
